Overprotective
by ColorLikeWhoa
Summary: With his dad gone, someone has to interrogate all of Gwen's "friends who are boys", and who better than Gwen's loving younger brothers? Poor Peter. Post-The Amazing Spider-man.


**A/N: The whole 'promise' drama is over for this one-shot. **

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**Overprotective**

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Peter took a deep breath in. He straightened his hoodie, patted down his hair and then exhaled as slowly as possible. _Just relax_, he told himself.

This was it. No turning back.

He stood face to face with the Stacy's front door. (The doorman had finally let him through, after he allowed his suit-free backpack to be examined thoroughly.) Peter carefully held up a bouquet of daisies he'd bought from a vendor outside. They were perfectly intact this time. His other hand reached out, inches from the doorbell. He inhaled. He exhaled. And then he finally rang the doorbell.

The chimes echoed throughout the apartment, and along with it, Peter could hear some disgruntled yelling, which he assumed was from Gwen's brothers. A moment later, the door was flung wide open, revealing the most grim-looking kid he'd ever seen. Peter had to stifle a laugh, settling for a shocked expression instead.

_Howard, _Peter remembered. Said Howard looked about twelve, and his morose expression did not suit him one bit.

"Mr. Parker. Step inside my office," Howard announced, beckoning Peter inside with one hand.

Peter nodded at Howard and followed him, hefting his bag up higher. He looked around. The house looked the same as ever, except with a colorful mix of flower bouquets covering almost every inch of space on their coffee table.

Howard stood in front of him, his arms crossed.

"Hey, Howard," Peter finally spoke. "Where's Gwen?"

Howard raised one eyebrow. "My sister is not home. She and my mother are out 'shopping'," he said, using air quotes for the last word.

"Oh, okay…" Peter said, unsure of what he was doing there all of a sudden. Peter tried to subtly place the flowers on an empty space on the coffee table.

Howard's older brothers had entered the room, standing behind Howard with matching glares on their face.

"Um…" Peter gestured to the front door. "Gwen's not- not here, so I'm just gonna… head out. I'll come back later, I-"

Howard cut him off. "What are you intentions with my sister?"

"I'm sorry, what?"

Howard repeated his question, enunciating each word as if he thought Peter was of lower intelligence than him.

"I, um… I don't- nothing, I guess," Peter stuttered. "Why are you asking-"

"My sister only deserves the best. Can you guarantee this?"

Howard's brother suddenly whipped out a notepad, pencil poised on the paper, ready to write down Peter's every word.

Peter gulped. "Yes?"

Howard's face didn't change. "Have you ever been arrested?"

_The police can try, _Peter thought. "No?"

"Put down no with a question mark," Howard advised his brother, who was now furiously scribbling in his notepad.

"Look, I need to head-"

"Silence!"

Peter shut up, still confused. Howard's other brother handed Howard something gold and shiny, which Peter couldn't quite make out.

Howard waved the shiny object in Peter's face. "Do you know what this is?"

"Um…"

"I'm head safety on the safety patrol in school," he claimed, a hint of pride in his voice.

Peter nodded slowly. "And?"

"So I've got about five hundred students under my command and let me warn you- kindergartners are _vicious._"

Peter just kept nodding. "I don't see how-"

"If you are just one _step _out of line, Mr. Parker, I will set my cadets on you. So you better not try anything funny, understand?" Howard's impression of his dad was spot-on.

"Yeah, yeah, I-"

Howard flung the badge on the table, for emphasis, and yelled, "UNDERSTAND?"

Peter jumped despite himself. "Sir, yes, sir!"

Howard almost cracked a smile. "Now. Rule number one: If you want to meet Gwen, you have to call _one _week beforehand. Two: you cannot be in the same room with her unless there are more than two other people with you. Three: You are not allowed within twenty feet of her bed, and she is not allowed anywhere near your room. Five: If you do _anything _to make my sister sad, uncomfortable or even the slightest bit annoyed, you _will _regret it."

"Yes, sir!" Peter added a salute for good measure.

"Now get out of my sight."

Peter made an about-turn and hurried out of the room, almost embarrassed to obey orders from a kid half his age.

Next time, he'd use the window again.


End file.
